Piwnica pod Baranami / The Cellars under the Rams
Rynek Główny 27
The best-known cellar in Kraków has become a legend. The building on the corner already housed a tavern in the 15th and 16th centuries, which, according to literary researchers included the most eminent Polish Renaissance writers, Jan Kochanowski, Mikołaj Rej, and Łukasz Górnicki, among its regular patrons. The contemporary chapter in the history of the Gothic vaults under the Mansion under the Rams began in 1956 with the wave of the so-called thaw in communist Poland, in whose wake the famous cabaret operating to this day was established. Every concert performed by the Piwnica artists is a great event. The unique atmosphere, surreal humour, beautiful lyrics, and magnificent songs of Piwnica composers act as a magnet for both regular patrons and the chance visitor.
Situated almost next door is the popular Vis à Vis pub that has gained cult status in literary circles. The place is frequently visited by the artists of the Cellars under the Rams, as Piotr Skrzynecki, one of the founders and the greatest legend of the cabaret, who died in 1997, sits in front of the pub reflecting over his cup of coffee. Both may be made of brass, yet the flowers on his table are fresh every day.